I highly recommend going to a LaLeche League meeting in your area. I was really nervous about nursing when I was expecting my first. The lovely ladies at LLL helped put me at ease and were a wonderful support postpartum.

I'm glad mockinglee mentioned hand expressing.

I came back to encourage all to look into learning how to properly hand express. I had issues with milk blisters and cracked nipple on one breast and could not pump on that side as the pump would reopen wounds and the milk would get bloody.... which DS wouldn't take.

I googled and youtubed and found a few sites and vids that showed how, so I gave it a shot as I didn't want to lose the milk in that breast, and didn't want to keep throwing out milk while I waited to heal up again. I found that even though it took me a little longer than pumping, I discovered I emptied that breast more fully and got more milk out through hand expression than by pumping.

It took something ridiculous like 2-3 months before I healed up enough to go back to just nursing... by then DS was 6 months and we started introducing solids, but because I had learned to hand express, we were able to keep DS exclusively on breastmilk till then.

thank you for the idea, im going to youtibe hand expressing as well! my hospital gave me a medela hand pump so i will try that as well. ds is able to feed when its engorged but it takes him much longer to get that latch.

Hi! I breastfed my daughter, Trinity for 20 months and it was a child initiated weaning approach. it has been magical. im currently exoecting my second child and I am really looking fwd to breastfeed her!

1. How often to you feed a baby?

depends on each child's biological timing. Trinity drinks every 3 hourly.

Do the intervals change as the baby gets older?

Trinity used to take 45 min per side. as she gets older, her suction power is better and it eventually reduces to 10 min per side.

Also, how long (minutes/hour(s)) should you feed a baby for at each feeding?

I feed on demand so I will wait for Trinity to unlatch herself per side per feed.

2. What foods should you avoid eating to prevent a gassy/fussy baby?

nothing. all in moderation. i avoided medication and alcohol.

3. What foods increase or decrease supply?

water! I drank 3 litres per day when I breastfed. the trick is to carry a 1 litre bottle with u everywhere u go, so that u don's have the excuse not to drink.

I also had green papaya and fish boiled soup everyday. This is a recipe given by my hospital. Just pan fry any fish of your choice and boil it with green papaya until everything is soft. include the fish bone.

4. If you don’t use a nursing cover, how can you feed discreetly in public?

Buy nursing brands like dote, mothers en vogue or mothercare. The designs are really discreet and others dun even know when I am breastfeeding. Just use a cover when u are latching or unlatching.

5. What are the different nursing styles? do any have better success then others? whats best for a smaller baby or a larger baby?

smaller babies can do a cradle or football style to nurse. when older, the child can sit up and hug you to nurse. all's the same to me as long as Trinity felt comfortable.

hope these info helps!

Can't believe I've been breastfeeding for 6 months... Rocky won't take a bottle at all.!!! He's my fourth but first boy ..loving feeding him...he loves his solids too but boob just makes him so content..! I never mind feeding in public but that's just me..!

Originally Posted by qudz104

Im about 2 weeks in and while ds sometimes has latch issues (he fiddles for a while before latching or chomps right down, ouch!) its been a very nice experience so far. I have a few issues though.. It seems like he is kinda gassy and im wondering if its bc of the spicy food im eating? Also, does anyone have tips for reducing engorgement? I think it makes feeding tougher for the little guy, not to mention painfully heavy for me!

If you're having breast pain due to engorgement, or sore nipples, or other endless reasons that our breasts become sore due to pregnancy and nursing, I found a great product that really helped me through those stages. It's called the Shower Hug, and while I believe it was originally marketed as a kind of "breast shield" while in the shower, I use it all the time when I'm at home. It's more comfortable than a regular nursing bra, and you can wear it without breast shields because the material is absorbent. It's very soft and soothing.

4. I've found that wearing a dolman sweater one size up is really handy! I just cradle my baby inside of it and nurse her and no one knows!

Originally Posted by qudz104

these are a few things i found online that i summarized into bullet points for myself.. i hope it can help someone.. and i hope it can help me too, lol. - Buy a pillow, lanolin cream, pump, nursing bras and tank tops, nursing cover, gel soothies, nursing pads; Keep water, a small snack chap stick close by. - Try to feed right after birth - Meet with a lactation consultant or someone from La Leche League - Bring the baby to the breast, not the other way around (don’t bend over) - Set short time goals; first 3 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year. - Pain should go away by 6 weeks - Baby’s latch is correct when their entire mouth covers most/all of the nipple; nose/chin touch breast; feeding won’t hurt if baby is latched properly - Learn to feed lying down - Nurse on both sides; wear a band/bracelet to remind what side was just used/what side gets used next - Watch for signs of mastitis, clogged ducts; empty breast with a pump if baby doesn’t empty it for you. - Wipe breast and inside of baby’s mouth to prevent thrush - Stay calm; milk flows better - To break a latch, suck your pinky and pop it in the baby’s mouth - Don’t use pacifiers or bottles till feeding/latching is established - Don’t supplement with formula right away since baby’s stomach is very small; they drink very little, just very often.

My breast took (2) weeks to not be sore or sensitive to breast feeding and the only thing that helped was the pads.

Regarding gas, my baby was really gassy a few weeks ago and we thought it might be something I ate, but we figured out that I have a hyperactive letdown, so she gulps and gulps when the flow is fast, especially if the breast was engorged. Either I have to express some milk before feeding so it doesn't spray out so fast, or I burp her once or twice in the middle of feeding. It seems to have helped tremendously with gas. I tried some of the foods that we thought were bothering her again and she hasn't shown any reaction at all.

I've tried block-feeding to try to reduce engorgement, and it has worked a little bit, but I'm worried about it working TOO well and going in the other direction and not having enough supply, especially as she's growing fast and eating more now.

I have another q... After feeding witu both sides and burping ds, he still seems to be chewing on his hands. Is he still hungry? Should i offer him a side again? I feel like there isnt much quality milk right after a feeding.
Also, he used to have a good latch but i guess when hes hungry he just goes for the nipple and its hard to break the latch at that point. I dont know what to do in that situation.

I asked this question of the health professionals and was told that if DS has brought himself off both sides and then chews on his hands, he likely hasn't satisfied his sucking instinct so we give him a dummy (or pacifier as they're known in the US) and he's then happy with that for a little while until he is satisfied then will move onto playing or whatever is next. We had intended not to use a dummy with him but he just seemed to suck in so much air when chewing on his hands that the dummy was the lesser of the two evils.

1. How often to you feed a baby? Do the intervals change as the baby gets older? Also, how long (minutes/hour(s)) should you feed a baby for at each feeding?

I feed him on demand. When he was a newborn, I fed him for 30 min, 15 min on each breast. Now, he is 2 months old and I feed him 10 min, 5 min on each breast. It really depends on your baby though. Some babies nurse longer to be full while others are faster. So there really isn't a set time, you just have to see for yourself.

2. What foods should you avoid eating to prevent a gassy/fussy baby?

I read to avoid spicy and dairy.

3. What foods increase or decrease supply?

My mom and MIL swears by beef soup. My nurse recommended Organic Mother's Milk. IMO, I don't think food can increase/decrease supply. The only way that it can increase/decrease depends on how often you feed your baby. The more you feed your baby, the more milk your body makes to keep up with the demand and vice versa.

4. If you don’t use a nursing cover, how can you feed discreetly in public?

I always use a nursing cover to feed him in public. I once left my nursing cover at home, so I used one of his thin blanket that I carry in the diaper bag. If you don't like nursing covers, then tere are bf tops that only opens on the nipple area to feed discreetly in public without exposing yourself.

5. What are the different nursing styles? do any have better success then others? whats best for a smaller baby or a larger baby?

I prefer the cradle hold. I had a C-section, so the nurse recommended the football hold or laying down. I tried them both and found that it was awkward and uncomfortable for me, so I stuck to the cradle hold.

Good luck! Hope this helps. Also, try babycenter.com :).

Originally Posted by qudz104

hello ladies.. i wanted to ask your help about breastfeeding. i think almost all first time moms are a little anxious about it, and this mama to be is definitely an anxious one! i would love to almost exclusively feed my baby with my own milk, hopefully for at least 6 months. i do plan on buying a pump eventually so the LO can get used to bottle feeding and DH can also feed the baby, and so i can have a little freedom at times. i have a few questions thati hope someone can answer: 1. How often to you feed a baby? Do the intervals change as the baby gets older? Also, how long (minutes/hour(s)) should you feed a baby for at each feeding? 2. What foods should you avoid eating to prevent a gassy/fussy baby? 3. What foods increase or decrease supply? 4. If you don’t use a nursing cover, how can you feed discreetly in public? 5. What are the different nursing styles? do any have better success then others? whats best for a smaller baby or a larger baby? thanks!!

1. I fed on demand approx 2~3hrly. Intervals change when I introduced solids at approx 6 mos old, I can substitute 1 feeding with 1 meal. By then many babies should be able to sleep through the night (DS1 did like a dream, DS2 still can't!) so moms of babies who can, feed more often through the day.

2. Avoid hard cheeses, I think, I never really paid attention to this lol, my babies were never overly fussy either until teething.

3. Anything caffeinated decreases milk supply. Then again caffeinated beverages have a laxative effect. So depending on your diet and metabolism, your obgyn and pediatrician can advise accordingly. Mine says to take 1 mug of caffeinated coffee/tea a day max.

4. I've always used a nursing cover, even nursing a toddler although the cover couldn't cover him completely, but as long as it covered my boobs that's fine.

5. Honestly there isn't a perfect position standard for everyone, we all come in different shapes and sizes, babies come in different shapes and sizes, and so do breasts. You just have to try out each position and find out which is best for both you and the baby, and it can change for your second baby and subsequent babies. Football hold is always highly recommended for newborns because they have no head support and are so fragile. However this didn't work for my DS2 he hated being held that way he would cry and refuse to nurse even with the guidance of the lactation consultant (LC) at the hospital. DS2 loved lying on my chest. You can google all the different nursing positions or have the LC at hospital guide you. After the newborn stage, I found the modified-cradle hold best for both my 2 boys.

As for nursing support I only have a Boppy pillow, that's it. Only good for nursing up to 2~3 mos then a perfect back support for me after that. :P

is there any 'magic' food that makes milk come in immediately? I've been drinking the mothers milk tea once a day, i eat oatmeal every day or every other day... my mil told me to eat meat and drink milk as those are supposedly good for milk production. one friend told me kidney beans are great but I'm afraid they will make the baby gassy.

i do have a decent supply now i think. but i feel like i get engorged/start leaking when ds isn't hungry, and i feel like the milk isn't there when he is hungry. but he seems content, has wet diapers/tears, seems to be gaining weight etc so I'm not sure. i am going by how heavy my breasts del at any given time to determine how much milk is in there.

i have a bit of a new challenge that i needed help with.

i can't feel my milk come in with a strong let down like i used to in the beginning but i have read that its common as the breasts get used to feeding the baby. the only thing is, when that used to happen, i knew that i had enough milk to feed my LO. and when he drinks, i can hear him swallow. however, these days it seems like he sucks a lot and i can't hear enough swallowing. granted, it doesn't have to be so loud the world can hear it, but at least i would be able to hear it loud enough to know he's drinking. does it mean my supply is diminishing? i feed him frequently but it doesn't seem to help. he isn't particularly fussy but he isn't a very fussy baby so I'm not sure if he is full enough. I've been drinking a lot of mothers milk tea, hot milk, eating oatmeal, etc but it doesn't seem to help. I'm not sure when/if i should supplement with formula. ps, his doctors appt isn't till may so I'm not sure what to do till then. at his last appt a few weeks back, he was in the 47% in weight.

sorry for the long windedness but I'm really confused as to what i should do now.